Pidgey-back Ride
by dark insanity 13
Summary: It really wasn't all that odd to find Pidge sleeping in weird places, often draped over her latest tech project or with one sitting nearby. That's why one day when Keith wandered into the Red Lion's hanger to see Pidge laying over one of the consoles, clothes and hair rumpled and softly snoring, he wasn't terribly surprised at the sight.


It really wasn't all that odd to find Pidge sleeping in weird places, often draped over her latest tech project or with one sitting nearby. Too many times Shiro, Allura and Coran had chided her for her poor habits, but despite how often she was scolded, she continued to snooze wherever she had claimed as her workspace.

That's why one day when Keith wandered into the Red Lion's hanger to see Pidge laying over one of the consoles, clothes and hair rumpled and softly snoring, he wasn't terribly surprised at the sight. Upon spotting the young paladin, he paused and placed his hands on his hips, letting a sigh escape from his nose as he frowned thoughtfully. He had come to check in on her since she had previously told him she wanted to try putting some small upgrades in the other lions (starting with his, as since both Red and Green made up the arms of Voltron the mechanics and programming would likely be most similar); the cloaking she'd added to Green had been of great use on many occasions, so he was interested to see what she would come up with for Red.

"Has Pidge been sleeping long, Red?" he asked his lion, voice raised enough so she would hear him but quiet enough to not wake Pidge. In response, Red gave a quiet rumble, and images of Pidge nodding off and a clock reading a time came into his mind. "About an hour, huh?"

If he were to be honest, he wasn't really sure what to make of the situation. This certainly was not the first time he'd encountered "Cat Pidge" (as Lance dubbed her, for her ability to fall asleep anywhere), but every other occasion he'd been in the company of someone else, or they happened to stumble upon her before he did. He recalled catching Hunk, Lance and occasionally Allura placing blankets or other warm objects over her early on (well, he didn't catch Lance in the act, but his jacket was draped over her shoulders), but Shiro put an end to that practice by saying that as someone who was still growing, Pidge ought to sleep in her own bed. So now if anyone found her dozing somewhere clearly not meant for sleeping, they were to carry her to her room.

Once he and Shiro walked into the dining room to see Pidge passed out at the table; Shiro had let out a disappointed sigh, then smiled and shook his head before walking over and lifting her into his arms, promising Keith they'd continue their conversation later. Another time he passed by Lance in the hallway with her arms hanging over one of his shoulders (Keith suspected he'd had her on his shoulder before getting caught and reprimanded by Shiro) and grumbling about "troublesome little brats", but Keith could see fondness seeping through the annoyance. A different occasion had him and Hunk finding her half-hanging out of Green, which Hunk chuckled at as he went over to retrieve her.

Each of those times, Keith was just the bystander, something he was glad for in hindsight. He didn't come from a big family like Lance and Hunk did, nor did he consider himself to have the same sort of nurturing instincts Shiro, Allura and Coran had, and on top of that, he and Pidge never really talked much one-on-one, so he didn't know what to do with himself in such situations. If someone else could shoulder the responsibility (figuratively or literally), he had no complaints. Not this time though; this time he was on his own.

Shifting uneasily, he briefly considered going to find Shiro, but quickly dashed away the idea. Finding Shiro would take time, and while he wouldn't get a lecture per se, the Black Paladin would probably go into Disappointed Dad Mode™ (another of Lance's little monikers) and gently chide him about getting closer with his teammates as they made their way back to Pidge. He knew Shiro was familiar with his history and both understood and respected his occasional awkwardness towards bonds, but Shiro was their leader and always encouraged him (and the others) to step outside the comfort zone. Plus there was the chance he'd run into Lance on the way, who would inevitably tease and poke fun at him, and Keith was not going to have any of that. He could handle this himself.

Keith briefly glanced to Red as if for assurance, took a quick steadying breath, then cautiously approached Pidge.

"Alright Pidge, let's get you out of here," he murmured more to himself than the sleeping paladin as he gently pried her off the console.

Pidge mumbled something incomprehensible in her sleep, but otherwise didn't stir. So far so good, Keith thought as he managed to get her leaning back in the seat she'd practically been falling out of. Of course, that brought him a new dilemma; how was he supposed to carry her? Furrowing his brow, he thought back to all the times he'd seen the others carry her. All of them appeared to carry her in their arms in some way or another (usually the cradle method).

That just…seemed…weird. At least, the idea of him doing the same felt weird and he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was how close and almost personal it looked. That didn't really line up with Keith. What other options were there then? Fireman's carry? He'd probably get an earful for using that one outside of battle. Under his arm? _Definitely_ would get scolded for that. Another image flickered in the back of his head, a vague picture of two previous paladins he couldn't see the faces of, but it was enough. "Piggyback, huh...Thanks, Red." He smiled up at his lion, widening just the slightest when she responded with a purr-like noise.

Nodding to himself, he knelt down in front of Pidge with his back facing her, then carefully tugged on her arm to make her lean forward onto him. Still off in dreamland, she did so with no resistance, flopping softly onto his back with a quiet snort. He grimaced a bit upon feeling her glasses smush into his shoulder; turning slightly he managed to wiggle them off and fold them closed, hooking one arm in the collar of his shirt so they hung out of the way. Next step, he got her arms over his shoulders, only freezing for a second when she shifted her head to settle on the back of his neck. When she didn't stir further, he continued by hooking an arm around each leg, readjusted his footing, then slowly stood.

Keith paused to readjust her position and his grip, hiking her up a bit to sit higher on his back to make sure she wouldn't fall backwards as he walked. He had to give Pidge some credit; when she slept, she could really sleep. A fond smirk twitched at his lips unbidden, but he made no move to smother it.

"Well, let's get you to your room and you can sleep as long as you want. Hangers are a little cold for us warm-blooded folk," he muttered with humour. "Night, Red."

The Red Lion purred again to bid him good night as he and Pidge left, eyes dimming as if going to sleep herself.

As Keith trudged through the halls of the castle towards Pidge's room, all he could really hear was his own footsteps and the soft breathing of the sleeping paladin on his back. Considering his apprehension before, this wasn't so bad. It almost felt...nice, in a way he couldn't quite place. He smiled to himself, taking refuge in the quiet that felt so different from the kind he got in the old shack back on Earth. Pidge shifted again in her sleep and her arms folded around his neck in a loose embrace, face smushing further into his hair and tickling his neck.

"Matt…"

Keith halted mid-step at the mumble. Was she waking up? What now? Judging from the name, she seemed to think that her brother was carrying her, or in the very least seemed to be dreaming of him. His chest clenched slightly at the thought. He knew Pidge missed her father and brother very dearly, her drive to find them both a strength and a weakness. She often told stories of them from when she was growing up, and Keith both admired and envied the way her eyes would light up from a happy memory. If he had a family, he'd want one like hers; small and close-knit.

Then again...they'd all said on multiple occasions that Team Voltron was like a family. The closest thing he'd had to it for as long as he could remember. If that was the case, then Pidge was like his younger sister. Maybe that would explain the contentment he felt. Older brothers looked after their younger siblings, right? Then perhaps for now he could be the brother she needed, even if he wasn't the one she so dearly missed. Maybe they could both find a teeny bit of solace out here in space.

"You fell asleep somewhere weird again; just taking you back to your room," he finally said, continuing on his path to her sleeping quarters. There was no need to correct her; if Pidge was so tired that she thought Matt was carrying her, then Keith wasn't about to burst that bubble.

"S'rry...th'nks…" Pidge replied sleepily. She shifted and resettled on his back, snuffling when some of his hair tickled her nose.

Keith chuckled quietly, fixing his grip on her legs as he walked.

"Don't worry about it, not as if you're very heavy."

Briefly he wondered if that was an appropriate thing to say, but the thought was interrupted by Pidge half-heartedly thumping him on the shoulder.

"Not small…"

A loud laugh threatened to bubble out from his chest, but he managed to contain it to a grin he knew she couldn't see. He knew if Pidge were fully awake, she'd do much more damage, but then again the usual victim of her wrath was Lance and he almost always deserved it. He hadn't intended the comment to be a gibe at her size, just fact that she was lightweight. Her sleepy response to the perceived insult had been adorably funny though.

"I didn't mean it like that," he answered, rolling his eyes a bit even though he still had a smile. "Would you rather I call you heavy?"

"...Fine."

Keith snorted at her acquiesce, shaking his head and causing his hair to once again tickle Pidge's nose, earning an annoyed grunt in response. They fell back into silence, Keith figuring she drifted off into deep sleep again. He didn't mind. It gave him the chance to enjoy this little bonding moment on his own terms. A few more turns down the labyrinth-like hallways, and they arrived at the door to Pidge's quarters. He readjusted his dozing cargo again so he could hit the button to open the door with his elbow; he breathed out a quiet sigh of relief when the movement didn't cause her to stir again, and the door opened with no issue.

"Here...we...go," he murmured as he knelt down by the bed, gently seating her on the edge. He made sure not to let go of her legs until he was positive that her placement was secured (couldn't have her falling off as soon as he let go, after all), then loosened her arms so he could stand and turn around to have her lay down. "Now let's get those shoes off and then you can sleep all you want in your comfy bed."

Pidge groaned tiredly in protest, but didn't fight Keith as he tugged the footwear off. Rolling his eyes through the fond smile that still had yet to leave, he placed them by the end of the bed so she wouldn't trip over them when she woke up. When he looked up again, he gave a snort, seeing that she'd rolled farther onto the bed, limbs splayed all over the place. The blanket remained underneath her ignored in favour of sleep.

"Yeesh, what are you, a monkey?" he teased, gently yanking it out from beneath her. "At least sleep with a blanket, you wildling."

"Shut uuuuup…" she whined, but reluctantly allowed him to place the blanket over her out of tiredness.

Satisfied that she was properly taken care of, Keith gave a little self-satisfied nod to himself. He placed Pidge's glasses on the night table, then made his way out of the room quietly.

"...G'night, Keith..."

Keith froze halfway out the door, turning his head just enough to peer at the supposedly sleeping Pidge from his peripheral. Sure enough, she had turned over with one eye cracked open. For a moment, he thought perhaps she would be upset or angry and instinctively he tensed himself in preparation of the verbal lashing she'd surely give him, but then though her gaze was hazy from sleep, he could see...understanding and gratitude?

He blinked, then came to the realization that she probably had been aware of who he was since she first stirred (or possibly even before that). Did she know that he'd been under the impression she thought he was her brother Matt? If she did, she'd made no move to refute him until this point. What did that mean? Did she want to make fun of him later? No, that didn't seem like Pidge (well, at least for anyone who wasn't Lance); plus as much as she tried to hide it, she got a mischievous glint in her eye whenever she had something planned and he didn't see it. Just something oddly warm and soft, like the looks Shiro would get whenever the team managed to bond and work harmoniously.

Understanding that, he visibly relaxed, letting out a breath, and sent a thankful look back at her. Perhaps they really could find some solace in each other.

"Night, Pidge."

In return, he saw her smile just the slightest before shutting her eyes and snuggling into the bed. With that, he left the room and shut the door behind him, smiling to himself.


End file.
